Craigslist listings for rentals and sales; issues I can't resolve. Help, please.

[Egret1986]

I have been using Craigslist for a number of years. Over the last couple of months (just recently realized this), my listings in my account will show posted or renewed; however, when I go to look for them they are not there. I was wondering why I wasn't getting spam or inquiries. And this isn't all of my listings. Some show up, some don't; even though the link at the top of the listings show that they are there.

I have contacted Craigslist with no help (after all they are free ads). I have redone the listings completely. That helped with a couple, but the others...still the same problem.

I don't get it. I rely heavily on my free Craigslist ads, in addition to my listings on other sites. Has anyone had this problem? Does anyone have any thoughts on what the issue is? AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!

 

[rickandcindy23]

I am exactly in the same boat. I advertised that stupid Oceanside, CA, Aquamarine Villas for 2/15 for weeks on Craigslist, and I kept renewing the ad. Then about two weeks before the start date, I tried to find the ad in the listings for the area, and nothing. I did a search on keywords from my title.

This also just happened with a week I have at Kona Coast Resort on the Big Island for next month. I searched to find the week under Vacation Rentals on the BI, and my ad wasn't there.

I also changed my ad on the Kona Coast. Shoot! I wish I had known the ad for Oceanside wasn't showing all that time.

If someone flags an ad, you should at least get an email, and I think you do. So what else is going on?

 

[ronparise]

Its not a flag Its Ghosting
My understanding is that the Craigs list computer has decided that you are either posting duplicate ads, or something else that violates their rules...once you are so identified, your account with Craigs list is useless...nothing will post...at least that was my experience

Heres how I solved the problem... I got a new email address and a new phone number and opened up a new account from a different ip address. I put up a plain jane ad, with no html, and no links....and that worked

Last week I thought things were going well enough that I added html. Nothing fancy just paragraph breaks and a link to my website.....my ad was ghosted....I deleted the ad, waited two days and tried again with no fancy stuff, and it worked...

By the way after not using my original account for 2 months it looks like its going to work again

 

[Egret1986]

Thank you both for posting your experiences

This has been driving me crazy. It's been very frustrating.

I had considered the "ghosting" thing. I didn't really want to use my other email accounts for Craigslist, but Craigslist is very beneficial in addition to other sites.

Since I focus on two specific areas, I am sure that this is what happened (lots of similar listings). It used to just tell me that I had similar listings posted and not allow it.

Thanks!

 

[DeniseM]

Ron is correct. Craigslist will not help you with this problem.

If you have internet access at work, try starting all over with a new Craigslist Acct. and only post Ads from work. (Or some other location that you have regular access to that has a different IP address than your home address, like the local coffee shop, etc.) Also, set up an new email Acct., and use a new phone number - your cell phone or your work phone.

If you do this, Craigslist will not be able to link your new Acct. to your old Acct. and automatically block you.

Also -

Don't create brand new Ads every time - use the renew button every 3 days instead.

Ck. your Ads after you post them to see if they actually post on the website.

After the Ad expires, and you can no longer use the renew button, create a new Ad with completely different wording.

Never log into the new CL Acct. from home, because that will link it to your old Acct.

So - to fix this, you need to use a NEW:
-IP
-email address
-phone number
-Craigslist Acct.

As Rod said, after your old Acct. is dormant for a couple of months, you may be able to use it again. Then you can alternate between the 2 Accts.

 

[ronparise]

I should have added; Denise's advise is what I used to get back on craigs list

Once I got the new account up and running I have been able to use it from my home computer

 

[DeniseM]

Ron - I've had to do the "re-do" multiple times and sometimes accessing the new Acct. from your home IP can cause it to be blocked, so I have one Acct. that I only access from work, or if we are on vacation, from another location. I just stay after work a few minutes and renew my Ads and add any new ones. Just something to think about, since it's a pain to keep setting up new Accts.

BTW - The Orlando Section of CL is by far the most miserable part of Craigslist. If you have Orlando Ads - expect trouble.

 

[Egret1986]

Thanks, Denise, for the step-by-step and the ins and outs.

Ron is correct. Craigslist will not help you with this problem.

If you have internet access at work, try starting all over with a new Craigslist Acct. and only post Ads from work. (Or some other location that you have regular access to that has a different IP address than your home address, like the local coffee shop, etc.) Also, set up an new email Acct., and use a new phone number - your cell phone or your work phone.

If you do this, Craigslist will not be able to link your new Acct. to your old Acct. and automatically block you.

Also -

Don't create brand new Ads every time - use the renew button every 3 days instead.

Ck. your Ads after you post them to see if they actually post on the website.

After the Ad expires, and you can no longer use the renew button, create a new Ad with completely different wording.

Never log into the new CL Acct. from home, because that will link it to your old Acct.

So - to fix this, you need to use a NEW:
-IP
-email address
-phone number
-Craigslist Acct.

As Rod said, after your old Acct. is dormant for a couple of months, you may be able to use it again. Then you can alternate between the 2 Accts.

Man o Man, I'm glad I posted on TUG. I held off because I thought I could lick this thing.

I probably don't tell TUG this often enough, but....... I love you, TUG.

 

[kaio]

^ good info. I set up like 6 different accounts on CL for reasons like this ....or when you post in too many cities too quickly, you cannot post for a lil while... so it is good to have multiple accounts to switch back and forth from! You may have to re-verify some of them when jumping back and forth between different IP addresses tho (computers).

 

[ace2000]

I just had a similar experience, and I hardly ever post on CraigsList. I posted my ad a couple of weeks ago and did the renew option a couple of times. And then searched for it and couldn't find it.

After I just deleted the ad and reposted it verbatim, it has worked fine since then. I've checked on it several times.

I did this from the same account and the same computer.

 

[DavidnRobin]

This thread is extremely helpful - working within CL has been a pain. It is ridiculous that one cannot place the same/similar ad in different locations. I can understand their intent, but they seriuosly fail when it comes to something like advertising a vacation rental. This is an excellent workaround - thank you.
Now to just get rid of the CL scammers...

 

[Passepartout]

So far I've been fine, but I use 3 different computers, vary the text, write some of the phone numbers (one, three, etc instead of 1,3). Haven't had to post from anywhere but home yet, but that's easy enough to do if necessary. I DO check the CL ads in each city where they are posted- and never knew about 'ghosting.' Thanks for the heads up.

I did have one ad flagged and removed for some unknown reason long after it had expired. Minor mystery, but the item was sold and gone anyway.

Jim